I haven’t had much time these days to write to the paper but the article from Froma Harrop on Aug 13 required a response.

In the article, Froma writes, “The view point of putting millions of illegal immigrants on the path to citizenship rewards lawbreakers, is unhelpful.”

This is typical of a liberal response to any issue. Ignore the illegal part of the issue while overstating the part that liberals like to push, government giving another special group something that looks compassionate. Face it, we are talking about “illegal aliens,” not immigrants. Half of which were allowed into the country legally but refused to leave when their visa expired (they chose to break the law). Froma, like so many other liberals, cannot help but make untrue references about the GOP for example “demonizing Latinos” when it is her people that have been demonizing all races and classes by dividing and trying to keep as many people (voters) on the government dole as possible.

The GOP wants the taxpayers to be considered and relieved from more and more tax burden. You know, the half of the workers who pay for the left’s “charities.” The GOP wants the border secure prior to any other changes being made.

Back in 1986, this exact fight was fought with promises made by the Democrats to “build the fence” in exchange for amnesty for 3 million illegals. The fence is actually law already.

Of course, like the “promise anything” liberals always are, the fence kept being put off once the Democrats achieved legalization. In 1986 all the issues we have today were addressed but the government has not enforced these laws and here we are dealing with 11 to 20 million illegals today.

The taxpayers need to push to stop politicians from making more bad choices that continue to cost us hundreds of billions of dollars. There isn’t room here to discuss this fully, let me share some numbers created by the illegal alien problem with you. $300 billion wired to Mexico since 2001 (money out of our economy); $400 billion spent in social services since 1996; $175 billion cost to schools for K-12 since 1996; and $28 billion cost of incarceration of illegals violating other laws since 2008.

Our issue in America isn’t laws, it’s enforcement and the lack of leadership to stand behind what has already been written.

Gene Daughtry

Russellville

Answered prayer

This story is an answer to prayer — after our 12-year-old lab had been missing for 10 days, we had given up hope that our dog (named Chance) would be found. On Aug. 13, our son and grandson were hiking near the river bluffs off Skyline and found Chance trapped in a crevice about 30 feet down the side of the bluff.

Besides thanking Tim, Caleb and Stacy Carter, we want to thank the many who helped rescue Chance, including: animal control; the director and assistant director of 911; the Russellville Fire Department Fire, Rescue and First Responders; Dr. Tommy Richardson (our friend and neighbor, and who made sure Chance was doing well after the rescue; Kristi Lamoureux (for being a great chauffeur of kids, rescuers and equipment with her all-terrain vehicle); and Becca Bates Kirby.

How Blessed we are to live in such a loving and caring community. They all went above and beyond and we appreciate them so much.

Jim Carter and Wanda Carter

Russellvile

Family search

I am searching for information abut my grandmother, whose maiden name was Martin. Her name was Martha Jane Martin, but she went by the name of Mattie. Mattie was born on June 12, 1875, in Clarksville, in Johnson County. She married J.D. Martin on Jan. 27, 1897, and they had three children: William (Willie) Green Martin, Claude Martin and Hattie Martin. I know that Willie and Claude were born in Johnson County before 1900.

In the 1880 census of Dover, Martha J. Martin, 5, lived with Joseph P. Gray 59, and Elizabeth Gray, age 55. I assume these were grandparents. Another child was also listed in the household, Desota Martin, age 6. I pray that someone is related and can tell me who may grandmother’s father and mother were, or who could give me any other information about the family.

Also, listed as neighbors in the 1880 of Dover were James and Salinbon Burghill, John C. and Ellen Burghill, Ehkraim and Marsha Linkes, James H. and Liddy Taylor, William and Susan Linkes, Jacob and Lottie Davis, and William F. and Mollie Barton.

In the 1900 census of Spadra, in Johnson County, John Martin was listed as John T. Martin, which could be due to transposing of the middle initial when the census taker asked for the name of the head of household. This census listed my Uncle Willie as age 2 and my Uncle Claude as age 5 months. Other children listed in the household in this census were probably children of J.D. Martin by a previous marriage. These children were James T. Martin, age 23, Benjamin F. Martin, age 21, Mary C. Martin, age 17, Maggie Z. Martin, age 15, Nancy J. Martin, age 9, and John, age 12.

Perhaps some of these children’s relatives will recognize the name of their great-grandparent or grandparent and will share the information with me. I certainly hope so. Sometimes after 1900, my grandmother moved to Titus County, Texas. On April 30, 1904, she married my grandfather, Lon D. Edwards. These two produced by mother and two other offspring. My grandmother died Sept. 18, 1915, at the age of 40 of pneumonia.

It would be nice if we could erase line between Politics and Governance.

Politics is the art of combining power, money, and religion, in an effort to obtain a position of satisfying a given constituency, for what ever reason. Politics rarely has effective Governance as its primary aim.

Governance is about efficiently and effectively managing the affairs of the Nation in what should be in the best interest of the country and its people. It appears that Politics and Governance have become so separate and partisan that effective Governance is no longer possible.

It was once possible to satisfy each to a significant level by the art of meaningful compromise. That no longer seems to be the case. The politics of financial gain, using the tools of misinformation, fear, and religious interests and fervor seem to be the dominant ruling concept used by the extreme right wing of the Republican Party. Effective Governance is no longer a priority. If effective governance just happens to satisfy the interests of the rich and powerful, then governance, however diminished, will be possible.

Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha once stated that the three biggest issues facing humanity were Greed, Ignorance, and Anger. This seems to describe the strategy of the right wing of the Republican Party; the ignorant manipulated by the greedy through anger and fear. This seems to be the path that Mr. Daughtry and company have chosen to follow.